Tool 9
Faith Community
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Hebrews 10:24–25
Gathered to grow, scattered to multiply
A disciple who never gathers with others is a disciple who will struggle to grow. Jesus did not call isolated followers — he called a community. From the Twelve to the early house churches of Acts, the pattern is consistent: disciples gather, worship, study the Word, pray, and then scatter back into the world to bear witness.
Tool 9 is about building and sustaining a healthy faith community — one that is simple enough to reproduce, deep enough to transform, and outward-facing enough to keep multiplying. Whether you are meeting in a lounge room, a café, or under a tree, the principles remain the same.
This tool gives your group a rhythm and a structure. It is not a programme — it is a pattern of life together that keeps the community connected to God, to one another, and to the mission.
Tool 9 helps you
Establish a simple, reproducible rhythm for your faith community using the Look Back, Look Up, Look Forward framework.
Keep your gathering centred on the 5 W's — Welcome, Worship, Word, Works, and Witness — so nothing essential is left out.
Raise up shepherds from within the group so that leadership multiplies naturally as the community grows.
Why community matters
Disciples are not formed in isolation. The early church met daily, shared meals, prayed together, and held one another accountable to the teaching of the apostles. That communal rhythm was not incidental — it was the engine of their growth and their witness.
A faith community that gathers well will scatter well. When people experience genuine belonging, honest accountability, and Spirit-led worship together, they carry that life into their neighbourhoods, workplaces, and families. The gathering fuels the mission.
The church is not a building you go to — it is a people you belong to.
Group exercise — practise the rhythm
Look Back
Open with gratitude. Each person shares one thing God has done since you last met — an answered prayer, a step of obedience, or a conversation with someone outside the group.
Look Up
Worship and pray together. Use the 3 Thirds format: spend time in worship, bring your needs and the needs of others before God, and listen for what the Spirit is saying to the group.
Look Forward
Open the Word using the 5 W's. Ask: Who is in this passage? What is happening? When and where does it take place? Why does it matter? Then ask: How will I obey this week?
Works and Witness
Identify one act of service and one act of witness each person will carry out before the next gathering. Pray specifically for the people each member is reaching out to.
Raise a Shepherd
Ask: Who in this group could lead this gathering next time? Invite them to prepare. Healthy communities develop leaders from within — do not let one person carry the group alone.
Ready to explore the next tool?
View all 10 tools